


The Fool and The Jester

by VioletAmet



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Clothing, Friendship, Gen, Listener is not the Dragonborn, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-08-12 22:36:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20149954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletAmet/pseuds/VioletAmet
Summary: It's hard to say why there is a set of clothes that are similar to Cicero's. The Listener likes it, though.





	1. Jokers

“Listener?” Cicero called out, making the young woman jump in surprise and spun on her heel to face the Keeper.

“Ah, hi, hello, how may I help you, Cicero?” she asked, while trying to keep her back against the table, to hide the pieces of worn out red and purple cloth. Blood rushed up the Listener’s cheeks, which made him perplexed.

“Are you feeling ill? As the Listener, you should rest! Your health must be in tip-top shape, if you want to keep serving Mother!”

She chuckled bashfully as she shook her head. “No, I’m quite all right - don’t worry. I promise I will get some rest, once I’m...” She glanced at the table briefly, “done here.”

Cicero looked over the pieces. It took him only a second to realize what she had and gave the Listener a wide smile. “Do you really admire Cicero’s clothing that much, Listener?” he purred, as he picked up one glove to wave it before her face.

The Listener tried to speak, only for her voice to give out, forcing her to stop and clear her throat. There was no point in hiding it now, is there, she thought. “Actually... I found this when I... well, you know. Came here to the Sanctuary to kill you. It seems enchanted, but not that strong... but, it’s not really about magic, to be honest...” She stepped aside from the table to allow Cicero to get a better look. “Did you just keep a spare set, just in case, Cicero?”

Cicero seemed to have pondered the question before he shook his head. “Cicero’s current outfit may have been damaged, but it hasn’t fallen apart completely, yet! No need to worry about replacing it!”

The Listener raised a brow as she eyed the crudely sewn on patches on his outfit and smirked. “Why was it there in the first place, then?”

The Keeper hummed as he picked up the top. “Cicero believes the Listener must first try it on to understand. Here.”

She looked up at Cicero before she laid her eyes back down on the top. With a sigh, she started to unwrap her robe, to slip the top on. It fit better than she had thought, except for the loose strands in front. The Listener tried to secure it, only for Cicero to do it for her, with a smile on his lips.

As she straightened it out, it hit her. He crafted it.

She gave Cicero a look of shock while he turned to the rest of the set. “Once upon a time, Cicero has made another set while I was alone. There was no reason for it, but it was... fun, I suppose. Eventually, it seemed there was a purpose for it, after all.” He ran his gloved hands over the fabric. “It’s far from perfect, but Cicero is happy with it. Very happy indeed...”

The Listener was silent as she picked up the pants. “Then, I suppose there is no shame in wearing it, eh? I mean, it would be fun for the both of us to run around Skyrim, dressed up as fools, while we kill for the Night Mother, and for Sithis.”

Cicero watched as she slipped on the gloves and boots, but struggled with the hat until he helped her again. “Cicero must admit, it looks exquisite on you, Listener,” he says, as she spun around to show off the outfit.

She giggled from embarrassment, but appreciated the compliment. “Thank you, Cicero. Now, let’s go show it off to Nazir! I'm sure he will love it!"


	2. History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize, if my understanding of the TES lore is incorrect.

The Listener made camp for the night, for her and Cicero to rest. They had another soul to send to Sithis on their list, but it was quite a distance away.

Once she straightened out the second bedroll, the Listener turned to see Cicero had already wrapped himself with a thick fur, with all his weapons set aside. Even though she felt just as tired, something in the back of her mind made her restless. After making sure that Cicero was comfortable, the Listener pulled out a thick book from her bag.

Worn out, but somehow still intact, she carefully opened the book to one page in particular. It was an unfinished journal from one of the previous Listeners. It held details of their time in Cyrodiil, from when they made their first kill, to the point that they had seen the body of their Speaker.

Not much else was written, except for the sentence in the last page, "I've become the Listener."

There were some names that had been blanked out, but the Listener swore all of this was familiar to her. She looked back to Cicero to see he was still sleeping, before she got up, and walked away from the camp. A deep indigo surrounded her left hand, and with a deep breath, she summoned the Spectral Assassin.

They stared at each other in silence, until he lowered his eyes to the book in her hand. He stood straight with his hands behind his back as he turned away. "You wish to know who they were, don't you, Listener?"

She held the book against her chest. "Yes... please, tell me... the truth."

The deafening silence lingered for another moment, until he replied, "There is no need for me to explain, if you already know."

The Listener looked down with pursed lips. "But... my mother... What she told me..."

"The blood of the ones that had raised you, doesn't run through your veins, Listener. They had taken you away to control you, but you were bold enough to run away in the end. You had claimed it was for the sake of curiosity, since you were shut away from the rest of the world, but in truth, you were searching for your true calling. So, you found it, through the pleads of a boy. You have come a long way, so never question yourself of your life."

"One day, I'll serve Sithis, as you do now..." she said.

The spectre paused, before he slowly nodded. "Yes. You will."

She couldn't help but smile. "Good..."

With that, she returned to the camp, to see Cicero up and awake, looking for her. Before she knew it, Cicero slammed into the Listener to embrace her in a tight hug. She giggled as she rubbed his back. “Sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Then I should keep you company, Listener!”

“Don’t worry, Cicero,” she replied as he let go of her. The Listener slowly rose her hand up to cup his cheek. “I just needed some time alone to figure something out... But, I’m feeling better. Let’s go to bed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any mistakes/errors. I wrote this while I'm like... sleepy as heck. Anyway, take it easy dudes. It was fun to write this one.


End file.
